INTERVIEW: Louise Golbey | Soul-D-Out (UK) Live!

Short. Sharp. Facts!

Name:

Louise Golbey

Birthplace:

North West London

Lives:

North London

Type of Artist:

Singer/Songwriter & Musician

Accomplishments & Career Highlights:

Performing at Glastonbury, and cool venues such as Jazz Café and Ronnie Scotts, Recording at Maida Vale Studios, and a recent interview with Ronnie Herrel at BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Performance Debut:

The Arts Depo in Finchley – perfoming own material for the first time.

Likes:

Dancing, clothes, accessories, dresses, comedy and Sex & The City

Dislikes:

Overly drunk people, spiders and hardcore house music.

Quirky fact:

All of my (paternal) family are short and I speak fluent Frech.

Q&A

Can you tell us how you got involved in this event?

I’d heard of Soul of the UK and a good friend of mine, singer, J’nay was doing a featured run there. I've also been on Bang Radio and so had heard of d’nyce before. The show has a great reputation so I went along and ended up doing the open mic, which I won! After some fumbling of dates, we managed to find one that worked for us both. I’m excited about this show because I supported Kele [Le Roc] before at Jazz Café, so it will be great to share the stage with her again.

How did you first get into singing and songwriting?

I’ve always sung and danced as well as played the piano and growing up, I loved Hip Hop and RnB. Whilst at Uni, I started to do cover gigs as a way to make some money and one day a friend of mine put on a variety night which I wanted to perform at. She was up for it, but all material had to be original so I nerve-wrackingly did three of my own songs and they went down really well. That was about 4 or 5 years ago and I’ve been doing my own material since.

Who would you cite as your influences?

70’s soul music, people like Marlayna Shaw and Minnie Ripperton influenced me, as well as neo soul sounds. Production-wise, artists like D’Angelo and Jill Scott, but in my music I like to stay true to my British accent too.

Who is/are your favourite UK artist(s) and why?

Vula of Basement Jaxx, Sharlene Hector, Natalie Williams, J’nay, Elisabeth Troy and Omar, as a UK male vocalist.

What inspires your work?

Lyrics come from life really, situations, love, how I’m feeling that kind of thing. I tend to write as and when experiences happen. Melodies come to me at random times, so I try to always write them down, sometimes using my phone to save them until I can work on them.

How would you describe your style?

UK Soul

What can an audience expect when they hear you perform?

Passion! I really like to perform and put on a show. I like to connect with my audience. Myself and the band have a great relationship, so it’s nice to vibe naturally with the audience and create a warm atmosphere. That’s really important to me.

What would you say are your greatest challenges as a song-writer and performer?

Hmmm, working out what is going on in the industry, that’s a big challenge. Getting radio play is great, especially as an independent artist, but the independent route is hard, you know? I still do a day job full time and it’s hard work. I’d love to be able to pay more people that I work with, but it’s difficult. Most projects are done on a callaborative basis. It can be difficult to keep up with the industry but I don’t want to switch my sound to become more commercial, I believe in what I’m doing, so I’ll keep at it.

Personal favourite gig?

A couple of weeks ago at the Jazz Café supporting Terri Walker. It was completely sold out and had such a great atmosphere. I really felt like the audience was with me the whole way through my set. An amazing buzz.

Nightmare gigs, if any?

Generally when I’ve played at venues that are more rock/Indy ones. Where the sound guys are used to loud bands and don’t know how to get the sound right for soul.

What do you enjoy/prefer about the Live London/UK scene, in comparison to anywhere else?

London scene is great as I feel I am really a part of the soul scene here. I love being asked to do the big gigs here along side some incredible vocalists and musicians who I really respect and admire.

As a UK performing artist, how do you feel about being compared to artists in the US?

I don’t mind at all – especially if it’s artists I love!

If you could perform alongside any other artist(s), dead or alive, who would it/they be, and why?

John Legend – I love what he does and I actually really think our voices would blend well!

Ultimately, what would you like to achieve with your performance career?

I guess I’d love to be signed or at least be in a situation where I am making a living from my own music. That would be amazing. The dream for me is success not necessarily fame. I want to be respected for my music as a credible artist with the music I write.

Complete these sentences:

Soul is…where the heart is

Song is…my passion

Louise Golbey is…full of soul and passion…

Can you tell us about any forthcoming performances/projects, in addition to Soul of the UK?

Projects: I’ve got two new music videos coming out for my next two singles on iTunes! Very exciting. And continuing to work on new material with various producers (Alex Morris, Drew Horley and 8Trak)

I did an interview on 1xtra with Ronnie Herrel the other day and he has been so supportive with playing my tracks.

Next gigs:

Tuesday 14th Sept | Ronnie’s Bar (Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts)

Thursday 30th Sept | The Yellow House, Surrey Quays

Tuesday 5th Oct | The Elgin, Ladbroke Grove

Saturday 6th Nov | The 100 Club with Vula (Basement Jaxx headlining)

Where can people find out more information about you?

Web | Twitter | MySpace | Facebook

You can see Louise Golbey live, TONIGHT, at Soul-D-Out (UK) Live! presents Soul of the UK

For dinner reservations, please contact Cottons, inadvance, on: 020 7833 3332

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http://www.cottons-restaurant.co.uk/.

Doors open at 6pm
Show commences at 9:00pm sharp
After party until 2:30am with music from RAMPAGE (BBC1Xtra)

Entry
£8 before 9:30pm/£10 after on door

Venue
Rhum Jungle
Cotton's Caribbean Restaurant
70, Exmouth Market
London EC1R 4QP

Nearest Tubes
Angel (Northern Line) / Farringdon (Hammersmith & City or Circle Line)

Listen to the Soul-D-Out Radio Show with d'nyce on BANG Radio 103.6fm | http://www.bangradio.fm/ at 19:00 BST every Thursday for the very best in Soul music.

Soul-D-Out (UK) Live! where the soulful reside